Catching Flavours at Ocean Kitchen

by Iyath Adam

For our Eating Out article series this time, we check out Ocean Kitchen Hulhumale’ – the adjoining restaurant with Ocean Bubbles Hulhumale’.

Located on the beach road of Hulhumale’, the restaurant has a breezy, coastal feel to its space. The whole décor vibe is beachy, with lots of bleached wood tables and chairs and woven rattan accents. With both indoor and outdoor seating, Ocean Kitchen is great for dinner with friends, family or even a date night. 

The counter area serves takeaway drinks from Ocean Bubbles (think boba tea, iced tea, milkshakes etc.) with a beautiful sofa area for waiting.

We decided to sit in the indoor area, which was air-conditioned. As soon as we sat down, the serving staff provided us with a menu for ordering. The menu was quite extensive, with breakfast options, rice, noodles, pasta, and burgers along with some great sharing platter options. The drinks menu was the same one as the one at Ocean Bubbles, which means you had a LOT of options to choose from!

We ordered their Thai seafood fried rice (which was marked as a house best on the menu) and spaghetti aglio olio seafood as mains. For drinks, we opted to share a brown sugar espresso, from their brown sugar bubble tea series.

The drink arrived first. A mixture of milk, espresso, brown sugar syrup and boba pearls, the drink was everything you want in a bubble tea – sweet, creamy, and just slightly bitter from the espresso.

Now, onto the food!

The Thai seafood fried rice was a HUGE portion. Served with an omelette, slices of cucumber and a wedge of lime, the rice had that unmistakable ‘wok char.’ The jasmine rice was fluffy and peppered with bits of shrimp and other seafood with a savoury, umami taste to it. It was hearty, fragrant and just the right kind of spicy to keep you reaching for more.

The spaghetti aglio olio seafood, on the other hand, was lighter on the palate but still packed with flavour. The al dente pasta was just slicked in olive oil, bits of charred garlic, seafood pieces, and a touch of chilli heat. Served with garlic bread, the pasta was simple, clean, and the ultimate comfort food.

Overall, the food was tasty, and the flavours were spot-on for an easy dinner night. If you’re in Hulhumalé, Ocean Kitchen is definitely worth a visit for a satisfying meal.